


Hanging Tree; Where the Dead Man Called Out, For His Love To Flee

by SurohSopsisofClouds



Series: Deception, Deceit, Dee [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Blood, Blood and Injury, Brief mentions of a gun, Fae Magic, Gen, Mentions of Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Slavery, Sympathetic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:53:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23584141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SurohSopsisofClouds/pseuds/SurohSopsisofClouds
Summary: Who had Deceit been running from so desperately? Why were they after him? How did he even get so hurt in the first place? And why was he running? To know that, you’d have to take a look into the past… Let’s go then, shalln’t we?(Prequel to Come Little Children; To Weary of Life and Deception)
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Deceit Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders
Series: Deception, Deceit, Dee [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697692
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	Hanging Tree; Where the Dead Man Called Out, For His Love To Flee

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Guess what! This is the first time I've ever done a prequel to something I've written! I really hope you enjoy this!
> 
> And as usual, if you did enjoy it? Please, leave a comment! Even just a screech in my general direction is awesome!

_Are you, are you, coming to the tree~?_

When they were kids, they used to come to this spot, under the willow. The chains around their wrists felt lighter somehow, under its branches. That had been years ago.

_They strung up a man~_

It was a jagged wooden spike now, and Deception was being dragged towards it.

_They say who murdered three~_

He’d done something bad, something he wasn’t supposed to do, so he deserved it.

At least, that’s what they told him.

_Strange things did happen here~_

He’d heard differently, though, from his brothers. Anxiety had said they told him that because they wanted him to be scared so he wouldn’t do it again. Intrusive said they just did it because they liked the power of it.

_No stranger would it be~_

No matter which brother he believed, at the end of the day? They still hurt him. He still had slow carvings going up his ribs and his back. Anxiety still had those deep, jagged scars in his legs and arms from beatings taken for others, and black eyes were a constant on his face. Intrusive still had that shattered look in his eyes and that permanent limp, remnants from the last time he saw his brother. He said they “took him away”.

_If we met at midnight~_

He never spoke much about Creativity. It was too hard. They’d grown up together here, much like Anxiety and he had.

_In the hanging tree~_

But now here he was, chained to a wooden effigy of their childhood, waiting for the frost to close up his fresh wounds. Or at least numb them.

_Are you, are you, coming to the tree?~_

A soft crunching of grass, the brush of cloth against wood, and the smell of mildew.

_“Ru?”_

_“Yeah, it’s me, Dee.”_

A rustle of chains, and the distant _clink_ of metal against cloth against metal, and Deception’s head shot up.

_Where the dead man called out~_

_“What are you doing, Ru?!”_

_“We’re leaving. Tonight, Dee. We’ve got a plan and we’re leaving tonight.”_

_For his love to flee~_

They told him that they had a plan, his brothers. They were going to run away. They’d heard that the Master was going to be away for the night, “going out drinking” whatever they meant by that. The only ones that would be left to watch the slaves would be the two Overseers. They had a chance, and they were going to take it.

_Strange things did happen here~_

They were at the Master’s Office. No one went in there. Not by choice, anyways. Intrusive and Anxiety’s plan involved sneaking in there, though. Anxiety was going to go to the back door to guard, while Intrusive would watch the front.

Deceptions job? Sneak inside and find the maps of the slave camp and all the surrounding forest. Then, they would steal those, and run off to their tent to pack, before taking off into the night.

_No stranger would it be~_

They were doing it. It hadn’t really hit him yet, but here they were. In position. Ru and Xie were watching for danger, and he was searching for the maps.

Where were they, where were they, where were they. On the desk? No, those were just a bunch of numbers and words on paper, some of them crossed out in red. That wasn’t what he was looking for.

On the wall? Yes! Wait, no. He didn’t see any forests, and there should’ve been a big one on there, so that wasn’t it.

...What about the chest? He didn’t want to move anything, but that was the only place he hadn’t looked. There weren’t any papers or books anywhere else. The office was very clean. He walked towards the chest.

_If we met at midnight~_

A small latch held it closed, but thankfully there wasn’t a lock on it. Deception didn’t know what he’d do if there _was_ one. This was the last place to check. He… he really hoped the map was in here. It had to be, right? He gulped, closing his eyes for a moment, before snapping them open again. No, he had to keep believing it was here. It was here! He knew it was! He opened the chest.

_In the hanging tree~_

Inside the chest, there were three heavy books, a heavy looking pelt, and… a dagger? He didn’t want to touch that. He grabbed the three books with hesitant fingers, before placing them on the floor and picking up the one on top, opening it to the beginning, and starting to skim it.

_Are you, are you, coming to the tree?~_

Ru had taught him and Xie to read, and he’d practiced a lot with all the labels and doors and stuff, and writing in the dust that could be scrubbed away with a brush of a foot in seconds. They... weren’t supposed to know how to read.

_Where I told you to run, so we’d both be free~_

He went through that book fast, before moving onto the next, and then the next. Oh, why couldn’t he find- Wait, there! Was that- it was! He quickly tore out the page, and began to move everything back into the chest where it was found. Before he could close that final book though, his eyes caught on a word. No, not a word, a _name_.

_Strange things did happen here~_

There, in a dull brown, blocky writing, were the letters C-R-E-A-T-I-V-I-T-Y. Creativity. _Ru’s_ Creativity. He jumped for the page, roughly shoving the map into his clothes as he moved. 

_No stranger would it be~_

Why was Creativity’s name… wait. There, he saw it. Written in ink and paper. Creativity hadn’t been killed! He’d run away, and succeeded in it, too! He’d gone somewhere else, and they’d had to tell a lie to keep them all from knowing!

_If we met at midnight~_

Deception turned towards the door, eager to tell Intrusive, but jumped back, tears forming in his eyes as they widened in shock.

_in the hanging tree~_

There, at the door, blocking Deception from view and with a knife poking out of his gut, was Intrusive.

 _“Go.”_ He mouthed at him. Deception took off running.

_Are you, are you, coming to the tree~_

Anxiety turned towards Deception as he ran out towards him, faltering midquestion.

_“Dee, did you get- Dee!? What, why are you-”_

_Wear a necklace of hope~_

_“No- no time. Ru’s- Ru’s dead. Need to run. We need to run!”_

Xie didn’t waste any time, pulling the smaller boy into his arms before taking off towards the tents. It was beginning to rain.

_Side by side with me~_

Xie pulled at the sack he’d hidden beneath their cots, grabbing their rations and spare clothes and shoving them in. Deception watched him move, tears leaking down his face. When he went to scrub them away, blood came with them. Oops. He’d reopened the cuts on his face.

_Strange things did happen here~_

_Thud, slap. Thud, slap. Thud, slap._

_No stranger would it be~_

What was that? Feet on mud? No, it was boots on mud.

_If we met, at midnight~_

Boots. Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. Deception’s throat tightened, a whimper just barely escaping.

_in the hanging tree~_

Anxiety’s head snapped up, seeming to have heard the boots as well. He quickly looked between the sack in his hands, the entrance to the tent, and Deception, before seeming to come to a decision.

_Are you, are you~_

He pushed Deception towards the back of the tent, moving himself to stand in front of the entrance. With a final gentle push on his shoulder, and a small smile, Xie whispered at him one final time. _“Dee, go.”_

_Coming to the tree~_

With wet sobs being muted by the sleeve of his shirt, and tears mixing with rainwater and blood, Deception ran.

_Where I told you to run~_

_“Head towards the forest on the east side of the camp.”_

_So we’d both be free~_

Xie’s words echoed in his head as he ran, bare feet slapping against mud and stone, twigs and the stray thorns beginning to replace them as he got closer to the forest’s edge.

_Strange things did happen here~_

_“There should be clovers and roses growing on that side.”_

_No stranger would it be~_

The rain pelted his skin, soaking him as he pulled out the map. He slowed to a stop before the bushes of thorns and soft petals, heaving breaths racking his shivering body as he did.

_If we met, at midnight~_

_“Leave the map directly in front of the roses, take three steps back, and close your eyes for five seconds.”_

_in the hanging tree~_

He carefully dropped the map in front of the roses, careful not to touch them, before backing away quickly, pulling his eyes shut with a snap before counting. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Open.

_Are you, are you~_

_“The map will be gone, and you’ll see a path between them. Follow it.”_

_Coming to the tree~_

Deception hesitated for only a moment before darting forward into the sea of roses, clover soft on his ruined feet as he paced forward.

_Where they strung up a man~_

His tears were still flowing, but were steadily slowing as he treaded onward. He was almost there.

_They say who murdered three~_

_“That’s all the advice I can give you, little brother. Please, try to stay alive. For me, and for Ru.”_

_Strange things did happen here~_

He wished they were ok, that his brothers were both safe. But he knew better. He knew what Xie had done, pushing him to run as he held that bag in his hands.

_No stranger would it be~_

Xie would be labeled the main culprit. He wouldn’t- they wouldn’t- Dee sobbed. He had to keep moving. For them.

_If we met, at midnight~_

He was almost to the edge of the forest now. The Overseers wouldn’t get there before him, Xie’s secret path ensured it.

_in the hanging tree~_

He could feel his feet sticking to the ground now. But there wasn’t any mud over here? Oh. They were probably bleeding, then.

_Are you, are you~_

Shouting, snapping branches, and the shrieking of injured hounds made him jump. They were trying to get through the roses, then.

_Coming to the tree~_

They wouldn’t be able to. He left the sounds behind, but picked up his pace. Sooner or later they’d realize this, and then they’d take the long way around. He wanted to be long gone before then.

_Where the dead man called out~_

He could see the edge of the forest now. He walked faster, hitting it in a matter of seconds. He hesitated to go in, though, realizing something.

_For his love to flee~_

Where would he go, after this? Where _could_ he go? People would know he was a slave the second they saw the chains around his wrists and ankles, the scraps of cloth that made up his clothing, _the brand on his arm._ Tears broke out anew in the corners of his eyes.

_Strange things did happen here~_

He, he wasn’t really going to be free, was he? He knew the Master wouldn’t let him leave willingly, and he didn’t have anything left to offer the forest in exchange for keeping him here. The Master would find him and catch him and drag him back before-

Before making sure no one else would try this again.

_No stranger would it be~_

...But wait. He did have something, didn’t he? A name. And he knew Xie told him to _never_ give his name to one of the Fair Folk, but what other choice did he have? There was nothing else he could give that would be worth enough-

Or maybe…

_If we met, at midnight~_

_“My name was given to me by one who wishes to claim me with it. I no longer keep it as my own. I have a new name now, one I’ve chosen of my own free will. So, I will give you, the forest, my old name in exchange for preventing its gifter from keeping me.”_

_in the hanging tree~_

A shot rang out for the world to hear, and as the sounds of the hunting horns filled his ears, Deception left the world.

And Deceit took his first steps into it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic! And if you did, you can also screech at me on my tumblr, @surohsopsisofclouds!
> 
> The song used for this fic was Hanging Tree by James Newton Howard.


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